Wedding of the Week: Upscale Southern Porch Party with Exposed Brick, Craft Beer & Country Food
Friday, August 29, 2014
Emma and Mark are a laid back couple who describe their perfect evening as a night lounging on a patio listening to live music and enjoying craft brews. This “perfect evening” translated into the inspiration for their big day and Music City Events was on hand to make that vision a reality.
Emma knew that she had to find the perfect location for this unique look to be achieved. From the very moment she laid eyes on Houston Station, she knew she had found “the one…” venue, that is! Exposed brick, rustic beams that cascade overhead, and beautifully aged wooden floors complemented the bride’s vision of an upscale southern porch party.
Also helping with that vision? The food and drinks that they served guests, complete with a low country inspired menu (pass the shrimp and grits!) and locally brewed southern beers. In fact, they love craft beers so much that not only did they create personalized pint glasses for favors but they also brewed their very own beer for their guests to enjoy. Talk about personalization!
There are SO many fun and creative aspects of this wedding that we know you are going to love. Read on for more!
Emma & Mark
Wedding Date: 11.10.13
Ceremony & Reception Venue: Houston Station
Budget: $20,000 – 30,000
Guests (#): 115
Wedding Team
Venue | Houston Station
Planner | Deb Hagerty with Music City Events
Photographer | Matt Andrews
Gown | The Bride Room, Augusta Jones gown
Bride’s Accessories | Kate Spade shoes, Jackie Kennedy Onassis replica earrings and necklace, and a gold bracelet and necklace that my mother and great-grandmother wore in their weddings.
Men’s Attire | Ralph Lauren Tuxedo from Men’s Wearhouse
Bridesmaids’ Attire | CamilynBeth Ampi Dress
Hair | Ciji Crawford
Makeup | Sonja Sevin
Stationery | Relish
Caterer | Flavor Catering (Jason Crockarell)
Cake Artist | Dulce Desserts (cupcakes)
Floral Designer | Phillipe Chadwick
Ceremony Musicians | Edsel West
Rentals | Music City Tents and Events
Lighting | Bright Event Productions
Transportation | Matchless Transportation
Wedding Details
How would you describe your style as a couple?
Mark and I are both very laid back. Our idea of a perfect evening includes a big patio, craft beer and live music. We wanted to capture that same feel for our wedding.
How did you incorporate that style into your wedding?
Mark and I worked very hard to incorporate our style into every aspect of our wedding.
Venue: Mark and I wanted a venue that would allow us to have a laid back wedding in an open, inclusive space. Once I saw Houston Station, I was hooked. The exposed brick, weathered wood, coffee shop, and nearby train tracks were elegant, yet casual.
Drinks: Mark loves craft beer. For beers, Mark and I brewed a double IPA with the help of his brother, which we named Long Neck Ale. We also got a variety of craft beers from Nashville breweries (Yazoo, Jackalope, Cool Springs Brewery, and Fat Bottom). We had two signature drinks—the Markarita and the Ginger Veil. We named our tables after breweries around the country! And finally, our favors were pint glasses with the logo a friend of mine designed for our beer!
Music: Mark and I love music, so music was very important to our “style.” First, Mark and I made our own playlists for our cocktail hour and a BBQ the day before. We picked southern bands, many that we’d seen in concert. Second, we wanted music during our ceremony to have a history. I walked down the aisle to “Ma Belle Danceur (Emma Rain)” by Dax Johnson, a song Mark sent me early in our relationship! Our recessional, “Your Baby Ain’t Sweet Like Mine” by The Carolina Chocolate Drops set the stage for our reception. During our ceremony, Mark’s brother performed a beautiful acoustic version of the song, “I Like to Be With Me When I’m With You” by Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors. We had an AMAZING live band, Edsel West, who made our reception a great party (just ask Mark’s 90-year-old grandmother!). They played a lot of great 80s rock—another thing Mark loves.
Food: We loved our food. My biggest regret from the wedding is that I didn’t get to eat more of it! Mark and I wanted to incorporate the things we love into our food as well. Mark lived in low country South Carolina and I (Emma) went to school in New Orleans so we decided to have Shrimp and Grits. Jason, from Flavor Catering, had options for New Orleans’ style and low country South Carolina style shrimp and grits. We had other upscale southern food as a nod to our southern roots.
Pre-wedding events: Mark and I wanted to make the whole weekend special to thank our family and friends that travelled in to spend the weekend with us. On Friday night, we experienced the Nashville Pedal Tavern with our wedding party. On Saturday, rather than having a formal rehearsal dinner, we decided to have a BBQ and invite all of our wedding guests. Our guests loved it too because they got to know one another.
What was your (or your guests’) favorite aspect of your wedding?
We got compliments from our guests about the incredible food (vanilla infused sweet potatoes), the delicious drinks, and the band! Also, our photographs are spectacular, and we have received many compliments about what a great job Matt Andrews did on the photography! As the bride, my favorite aspect was getting to be in the moment and see what all the planning looked like! Mark loved the band, the beer and the photo booth.
Where did you splurge? Where did you save/DIY?
We splurged on the photographer, food, and band. I wanted great memories, delicious food, and a great party! We saved on the decorations by collecting a beautiful assortment of green glass vases and brass candlesticks. We made our own table numbers.
Now that the wedding day is over, is there anything about your planning process you feel you could have done differently?
Honestly, no. I started working with Deb from Music City Events very early in my planning process and that made the whole planning process much easier! The most important things to book first are the vendors that can only book one wedding—photographer, venue, band!
In one sentence, what words of advice do you have for couples in the midst of their planning?
If you choose “Sweet Child O’ Mine” for the Mother-Son dance, use the Sheryl Crow version, not the Guns N’ Roses version!
About the Author:
Newlywed Heather
Heather is a Pittsburgh, PA native who now proudly calls Nashville home. As a newlywed herself, Heather is excited to talk about the latest wedding trends and share everything she learned in planning her very own Nashville wedding (psst: don't stress...At the end of the day, you'll be married to your best friend!) with Ashley's Bride Guide's readers.
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Posted on August 29, 2014 |
Filed under: Real Nashville Weddings, Wedding Planners & Coordinators, Wedding Style - Rustic, Farm ,
